


Together

by luthor_pendragon



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demon!Dean, M/M, Mark of Cain, angel!cas - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:45:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3485309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luthor_pendragon/pseuds/luthor_pendragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Take's place after 10x14. Fulfilling Cain's prophecy of Dean living his life in reverse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together

Dean glanced around. Even through the smoky vision created by his demonic eyes, he could see the barn was still the same. Still had all the sigils and devil’s traps he and Bobby had spray-painted onto the rotting wood all those years ago. It seemed the building had been abandoned because the lightbulbs Cas had blown out upon his arrival still hadn’t been replaced. All the better, for what was about to happen.

He smirked as he stepped inside. He was here. The smell of angel grace was distinct, the smell of light, of clean things. Almost sharp. A sudden contrast to his own, putrid stench of sulfur. “I know you’re here, Cas,” came the throaty growl. “You might as well come out.”

“Fine,” answered the gravelly voice. The angel appeared, wearing his usual button-down shirt and dirty trench coat. Not the holy tax accountant he’d been last time he was here, but now just a man. Almost. The grace from the angel Crowley had killed was burning out quick. He looked terrible, like he hadn’t slept in days; and he was still covered in blood from the last fight he’d had concerning Dean, the one where the hunter had finally taken out the King of Hell. Cas just hoped he had enough grace left in him to get this over with.

The demon hissed. The feathery son of a bitch had appeared right in the middle of the old Devil’s trap. _Fine,_ he thought. _If that’s the way he wants it, so be it._

He stepped forward into the circle. If he’d been as powerful as Cain, or even Abbadon, he’d have broken the concrete, and therefore, the trap, but so far, no dice. Just as well. There was a part of him, the small part of him that was still somewhat human, that didn’t want him to come back from this. To survive this. It was only that tiny fragment of humanity, of soul, that kept him from reaching his full potential.

No matter. Once the angel was dead, that piece would be too, and he’d be able to free himself and go take down Sam. It was all part of the plan.

Smiling, Dean began circling, the First Blade resting lightly in his right hand. “Ironic, isn’t it?”

Cas copied his movement. He needed to reserve as much grace as he could, so he didn’t do anything but move, slowly. “Ironic?”

“That the last time we were here, you’d pulled me up from Hell to be the vessel of Michael, the greatest of all God’s warriors, the Holiest of the Holy, but now...” He laughed, a low, cold rumble. “Now I’m the most powerful demon there is. Darkest of the Dark, more dangerous than any but Lucifer himself.” He paused, thinking for a minute. “Hmm, maybe when I’m done with you and Sam, I’ll head down the Cage and take those two out as well.” He shrugged cockily. “The Mark has to be fed, you know.”

Cas’ eyes flashed with blue light, then sorrow. Over the years, ever since he’d found the man’s soul, he’d been filled with sadness and pity and compassion when it came to Dean Winchester. “You don’t think you deserve to be saved,” he’d said, and the answer had been reflected back at him. Not with words, but with his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes, and that beautiful human soul. He hadn’t been able to stay away. Even when Heaven had taken him, retrained him, when he’d become God, when the Leviathans took over and he became Emmanuel, when he ran away in Purgatory, when Naomi brought him back and brainwashed him, even when Metatron had tried to get him to work with him; always, _always_ , the Universe brought them back together. And here they were now. Together. At the very end of things.

“Dean,” he said quietly. “I know there’s a part of you that doesn’t want to do this.”

Another laugh. “That’s right, there is, but I’m going to do it anyway. I’m going to make him watch as the people he cares for most in the world perish under my hand. His own hand. I’m just sorry that that’s the only fun I’m going to have in doing this. One hit is all it would take.” He waved the Blade a bit, making his point, before giving an insincere frown. “All Alistair’s training, wasted. Shame, really.”

“Hmm,” Cas gave a nonchalant nod.

“Oh, don’t be like that, angel,” he cooed. “I know you want to smite me. You know it, too. It’s in your programming. But you just can’t, right?” He fluttered his eyelashes in that clichéd romance film way, smirking evilly. “Too in love to do anything about it.”

Cas caught the cocky eyes of the demon, his own blues icy. He squinted a little bit, appearing confused, as he used to.

Dean looked affronted. “Don’t give me that look. Everyone knew it.

“Naomi knew. That’s why she tried to get you to kill me.

“Crowley knew. That’s why, even though he had plenty of chances, he _didn’t_ kill you. He didn’t want to risk my wrath.

“Bartholomew knew. That’s why he sent the reapers after you through me and Sammy.

“Metatron knew. He knew you’d pick me over your army. That’s why he killed me. To hurt you.

“Cain knew, too. He knew that this would hurt me almost as much as it would hurt me to kill Sam, as it had hurt him to kill Collette. You’re my Collette, Cas. You always have been. Always will be.

“Everyone knew, Castiel. Deep down, I’m sure even we knew. We just never got the opportunity, did we? No. Because it was always Apocalypse-this, Leviathan-that, Heaven-vs-Hell-vs-Purgatory and we were caught in the middle! Always.”

“Then let me help you, Dean,” the angel pleaded after the speech. “Let me bring you back, like Sam did before.”

“Sorry, angel cake, not this time. This time, it’s the Mark that’s in the way. And it doesn’t want just anyone’s blood,” he sneered. “It wants yours, and damned if I’m gonna refuse it.”

“Dean, you’re stronger than this. You can fight it.”

“NO!” snapped the demon. “I’m done fighting. Everything became easier for me once I let go, and damn does it feel good. No worries, no cares. All the appetite, all the…” he licked his lips and smiled, “bloodlust. It’s really a pity you didn’t fall further, Cas. An angel on the side of the demons? Now that would be something to be reckoned with.”

“Lucifer said something similar.” Cas wouldn’t let go of the man’s face with his eyes, watching for any hint as to his next move, while keeping the Blade in his peripheral vision. He didn’t like seeing Dean like this, but he daren’t look away. It was too late for that now.

“Oh, did he now?” he chuckled. “Well, can’t say I’m surprised. The bastard did hate me and all of my kind. Who else better to help him wipe us out than one of his own brothers?”

“This isn’t who you are, Dean. You’re not a demon, not really.” He stopped circling.

Dean stopped moving as well, taking on a more fight-ready stance. ‘That’s where you’re wrong. I am a demon,” a wicked grin swept across the freckled face, “and I’m going to kill you.”

Cas exhaled, exhausted, slouching. The grace was almost gone. If he didn’t finish this now, he wouldn’t be able to. “Fine, Dean. Kill me, if that’s what you truly want.” He stood up straight and spread his arms wide. “I won’t fight you.” The look on his face was one of quiet resolve, but also of the bravery that the hunter had come to admire over the years.

The demon paused. Cain’s voice echoed in his head. _“I can give you the Mark, Dean, if that’s what you truly want._ He shook it off. “Fine,” he growled. “But don’t forget, you asked for it.”

Dean Winchester laughed in triumph as he lunged forward and the angel’s soft body gave way under his ancient blade. The figure crumpled, hands coming around to grip the back of his leather jacket, trying to hold himself upright, blood spurting from his mouth as he choked. _Hm_ , he laughed to himself, _there’s not enough angel in him left to die like this. It’s almost a waste to use this blade_.

_Noo!_ screamed the human part of Dean. _Cas!_

“He’s in here you know,” gloated the demon side, his face an inch from the other man’s. “Screaming your name. Wailing about his dying love. The last _shred_ of humanity within me will die, alongside you, Castiel.” He smirked. “How about a final farewell?”

Cas watched helplessly, clinging to the man he loved, as the black eyes flicked back to green. “Dean,” he coughed.

Dean fell to his knees, holding the man up as they both knelt. He didn’t know when he’d started crying, but he had. “Shh, shh, don’t speak. I know.” His left hand came up and hugged Cas’ head to his shoulder, even as his right maintained its grip on the old bone buried deep in the other man’s belly.

“Dean, I-“ He swallowed down the Grace as it attempted to erupt out of him.

“Shh, shh,” he petted the brown hair, then pulled the blue eyes into view. “I know,” he repeated.

Tears spilled from both their eyes and Dean pressed their foreheads together. “Cas, you promised…”he sobbed.

“No,” growled the angel around gritted teeth.

“You promised me, Castiel.” The green eyes held the blue ones steady..

The angel forced down the grace again, but he couldn’t help coughing up the blood. His eyes became sad, empty, and hard. He knew what he had to do. He came here to do it. But now that it was the actual moment, he didn’t think he could. So… he didn’t think.

Castiel moved his right hand, slipping it around Dean’s arm and up behind his neck, fingers drifting into the short hair. He gripped, then pulled. Closing his eyes, he placed his lips over the lips of the man he’d fallen in love with, for the first, and last, time.

Dean kissed back, gripping Cas closer. The fingers of his right hand released the blade, which had been sated, and curled into the lapel of the angel’s coat. His left went up to wrap itself around his shoulders. Pushing gently with his tongue, he opened Cas’ mouth and deepened the kiss.

The angel almost broke right then and there. The feeling of finally having Dean Winchester in his arms was almost too much.

_I love you, Cas,_ Dean sent as a final, silent prayer.

_I love you, too,_ replied the angel.

_NO!_ The demon side realized what was happening, but too late. He tried to take over and pull away but the grip on his body held him still. Even in death, an angel is stronger than a demon.

Cas took the last of his remaining will and focused his escaping energy down the throat of the man he held on to.

Together, they swallowed each other’s screams.

Sam Winchester pulled up in the Impala just as a flash of blue light came leaking between the boards of the old barn walls. Even though he hadn’t been told where Cas was going, or Dean, somehow he knew. He’d never been here before, but he knew. Maybe it was it was his old psychic abilities cropping up again. Maybe he just knew his family too well. Either way, he wasn’t prepared for what he found.

Sliding back the double doors, he then fell to his hands and knees in anguish. On the ground, in the middle of a devil’s trap, lay Cas, the scorched imprint of his broken wings spread over the cement on either side of him. On top of his chest, still in his clenched fists, lay the burned out shell of Dean Winchester.

In dying, the angel Castiel had done as his original orders commanded, and smote the demon in front of him.

Sam didn’t know how long it was until he took his eyes off what was left of his family. Didn’t know how long it was until he could stand again. Didn’t care.

Once he could stand, though, he splashed the walls and floor with gasoline from the tank in Cas’ car, which had been parked outside. Taking out a lighter, he threw it to the ground, shut the doors, and drove away.

He didn’t stop unless he had to. Didn’t listen as the radio issued a forest fire hazard warning from Pontiac, Illinois.

He wasn’t even sure if he slept or ate. It didn’t seem that important anymore.

All he knew was that after parking in a dirt driveway, he shuffled up to an old cabin in the woods and knocked. Then, as the door was opened, he collapsed at the feet of a young woman.

“Jody!”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I just had a lot of feels after 10x14, and I feel really excited about the end of season 10, and of course, about season 11. As always, feedback and comments are welcomed. I hope you enjoyed it, even if it broke your heart.


End file.
